Thoughts Behind The Oscar Imposter Mystery –
Book 4 in an Oscar the Doxie Detective Mystery
I’ll just come right out and say it – this is my favorite book in the Oscar the Doxie Detective four book mystery series. This is also going to be the last book in this cozy mystery series. With The Oscar Imposter Mystery, my gut feeling is that I won’t be able to “top” this one.
I wanted to share why book four – The Oscar Imposter Mystery – is so dear to my heart…
Our Oscar was a very special dachshund in so many ways. Writing this series I wanted to honor his memory with dignity and respect. I wanted to express to you, the reader, his unique personality quirks, his love for us and our love for him, and his never give up attitude. Our Oscar was interviewed for the local newspaper and appeared in national magazine articles. In real life he actually was a canine celebrity. Not because he was a prize winning show dog, but because he was a fighter – a survivor.
My husband and I fell in love with Oscar when we saw his picture on a dachshund rescue website. He looked scared but tough. He looked confused but determined. He looked like he’d fit perfectly into our family.
When we drove to meet him, he ignored me (in fact he growled at me) and went straight for my husband. Oscar rolled over on his back and wanted my husband to rub his belly. Needless to say, Oscar came home with us that afternoon.
Here’s what we knew about his background:
- He was wandering in the Southwest United States desert during the brutal heat and monsoonal rains of the month of August. Animal control took him to the pound.
- He was found with three female dachshunds. All four dogs were in rough physical condition. One of the females did not survive.
- The speculation at the time was they were “throw-aways” from a puppy mill. The puppy mill had no more use for them so they dumped all four in the desert. Probably hoping they wouldn’t survive the heat or the coyotes.
- When he was found, Oscar weighed less than six pounds and was malnourished and dehydrated. He was all skin and bones.
- Our veterinarian thought he was about six years old and was used as a stud for breeding. His back teeth were worn down most likely from biting the bars of a metal cage.
- Within three months he needed serious back surgery due to injuries sustained earlier in his life. They thought he may have been kicked or abused. We carried him around for four months while he healed so he wouldn’t have to be in a crate or cage. Surgery was a success and after months of rehabilitation, he learned to walk and run again!
- He had no idea how to play. Toys meant nothing to him.
- He was always hungry – he loved to eat!
- We had eight wonderful and loving years with this little guy.
You can see why book four took on so much meaning for me. It’s my way to both educate about puppy mills and honor Oscar’s memory.
Oscar survived the hardships of the puppy mill and being abandoned. During our time together he taught us about patience, love and the power of never giving up. He was our mentor and teacher. You may want to stop by my Facebook author page were I regularly post The Wisdom of Oscar. I share some of the many lessons we learned from our smart little doxie.
Thank you for reading the Oscar the Doxie Detective cozy mystery series. And, thank you to everyone who took time to leave reviews. Please know how much I appreciate you!
© Copyright 2018 SharonMichaels.com – All Rights Reserved
Here’s a link to the Paperback Book 4 –
The Oscar Imposter Mystery in Paperback
Here’s a link to the Kindle Book 4 –
The Oscar Imposter Mystery on Kindle
I invite you to stop by and check out all the books in An Oscar the Doxie Detective Mystery Series An Oscar the Doxie Detective Series
Every month I give myself a writing challenge – something fun to use as a writing prompt. I can use it to create a blog post, an article, Flash Fiction Friday short story or even a novella.
I’ll confess, I only started reading cozy mysteries about two years ago. Sure, I watched Murder, She Wrote on television, but I was never “hooked” on mysteries the way I am now. I not only love writing them, I love reading them.
Looking through my collection of paperbacks and Kindles this morning, I realize I have certain favorite authors I’ve read most everything they have written. That’s pretty much what I do, stick with an author I enjoy and read all their books. Do you do that too?
Here’s a list of five favorite cozy mystery authors I’ve totally enjoyed reading:
1. Ellery Adams – especially the A Book by the Bay Series
New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams grew up on a beach near the Long Island Sound. Having spent her adult life in a series of landlocked towns, she cherishes her memories of open water, violent storms, and the smell of the sea. She now writes full-time from her home in North Carolina, which she shares with her husband, two trolls, and three keyboard-hogging felines. Adams loves coffee, champagne, kickboxing, 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles, Pinterest, and black jelly beans.
Her traditionally published series include The Secret, Book, and Scone Society Mysteries, The Book Retreat Mysteries, The Books By the Bay Mysteries, and The Charmed Pie Shoppe Mysteries. Visit www.elleryadamsmysteries.com
2. Carolyn L. Dean – especially the A Ravenwood Cove Mystery Series
I’ve been writing and making stories in my head as early as I can remember. In third grade I came home, set my lunchbox down, and told my mother I wanted to be a writer. Luckily, Mom was supportive.
I’ve been a published author for a while now, under different names and genres, but the thought of writing about a small coastal town in Oregon, and about its loves and mysteries and holidays and people has been with me for years. To be honest, I am a bit scared to dump those ideas onto the written page, but hope you’ll enjoy getting to meet the people who inhabit my imagination.
In real life, I’m married with kids, live on the West Coast of the US, and own a hobby farm just outside of my favorite small town. I love to travel, and can often be found strolling down a windy Oregon beach, holding onto the string of a high-sailing dragon kite. Carolyn’s Website at https://CarolynDeanBooks.com
3. Leighann Dobbs – I have three favorite series…
The Lexy Baker Mystery Series
The Blackmoor Sisters Mystery Series
Moosamuck Island Cozy Mystery Series
USA Today bestselling author, Leighann Dobbs, discovered her passion for writing after a twenty year career as a software engineer. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband Bruce, their trusty Chihuahua mix Mojo and beautiful rescue cat, Kitty. When she’s not reading, gardening, making jewelry or selling antiques, she likes to write cozy mystery and historical romance books.
Her book “Ghostly Paws” was the 2015 Chanticleer Mystery & Mayhem First Place category winner in the Animal Mystery category.
Don’t miss out on the early buyers discount on Leighann’s next cozy mystery – get a TEXT alert straight on your cellphone. For Cozy Mystery alerts, just text COZYMYSTERY to 88202
4.Abigail Keam – especially the A Josiah Reynolds Mystery
Abigail Keam is an Amazon best-selling and award-winning author who writes the Josiah Reynolds Mystery Series about a female beekeeper turned amateur sleuth. Josiah solves mysteries with her quirky friends in the Kentucky Bluegrass where fast horses, bourbon, and secrets abound. Like her heroine, Josiah, Miss Abigail adores chocolate, bourbon, chocolate with bourbon, horses, and honeybees.
Miss Abigail is also an award-winning beekeeper who has won 16 awards at the Kentucky State Fair including the Barbara Horn Award which is given to beekeepers who rate a perfect 100 in a honey competition. Like her protagonist, Josiah Reynolds, she was a professional beekeeper and sold honey at a local farmers’ market for years.
She currently lives on the Kentucky River Palisades in a metal house with her husband and various critters. She still has honeybees.
Death by a Honeybee won the 2010 Gold Medal Award for Women’s Lit from Reader’s Favorite and was a Finalist of the USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books of 2011. Death by Drowning won the Reader’s Favorite 2011 Gold Medal Award for Best Mystery Sleuth and also was placed on the USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books of 2011 as a Finalist.
You can visit her at https://www.abigailkeam.com
5. Leslie O’Kane – especially the Molly Masters Mysteries
Leslie O’Kane has written 28 novels, all of which have two things in common—they are laugh-out-loud funny, and at least one crime takes place in each book. Her all-time favorite review was Oline Cogdill’s in the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel who wrote: “Leslie O’Kane is certainly on her way to making her Molly Masters series the I Love Lucy of amateur sleuths.” A member of two book clubs herself, Leslie gears her books for the lighter, optimistic side of women’s groups. She writes lively, page-turning books that are quick, entertaining reads. Her books are described as somewhere between Where’d You Go, Bernadette? and The Thin Woman.
Maintaining a sense of humor is a mainstay of Leslie’s life. Many years ago, when taken hostage in a robbery by an irate customer afterhours at the bar where she was head waitress, Leslie thought, “This guy is taking his having missed last call way too seriously.” That made her laugh, which in turn made the robber strike her with his shotgun. The experience taught her that writing about crimes is much more fun than taking part in them.
Website: http://leslieokane.com/
I invite you to stop by and check out my Author page on Amazon.com – learn more about all my Amazon books Sharon Michaels Amazon.com Author page
Especially my Oscar the Doxie Detective Mystery Series
